Support attachment for ironing boards



Sept. 25, 1962 J, E. SELLECK SUPPORT ATTACHMENT FOR IRONING BOARDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 12, 1959 James E Selleck INVENTOR. Mm BY all Sept. 25, 1962 J. E. SELLECK SUPPORT ATTACHMENT FOR IRONING BOARDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 12, 1959 Fig. 4

James E Selleck R m N. m. mm Y B United States Patent Oil" 3,055,129 1C6 Patented Sept- 25, 1962 3,055,129 SUPPORT ATTACHMENT FOR RONING BOARDS James E. Selleck, 2416 York St, East Meadow, N.Y. Filed May 12, 1959, Ser. No. 812,618 2 Claims. (38107) This invention relates to supports and more particularly to a support attachment for an ironing board.

An object of the invention is to provide an attachment for an ironing board to facilitate the task of ironing by having convenient to the person using the ironing board means by which to accommodate any number of small objects which are useful in the ironing procedure or which may be collected from the clothing while it is being ironed.

A further and more particular object of the invention is to provide an attachment for an ironing board to hold a water bottle, pins, buttons and sundry small objects, an electric iron, particularly a steam iron in position so that it will not lose steam, and any other object which the user of the ironing board desires to place in the attachment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a practical attachment for an ironing board which is cap-able of being folded to a non-used position or swung to an operative position at which it extends from one end of the ironing board, the attachment being specially designed for use with modern metal ironing boards. When the attachment is extended, it furnishes a considerable quantity of additional surface as an extension of the ironing board, but in a direction longitudinally of the ironing board so that it will not interfere with the normal ironing operations.

One of the important features of the invention is found in the actual construction of the attachment and the way that it is made to grip onto an ironing board. It may be manufactured at a comparatively low unit cost and provides a very sturdy and handy attachment for the person using an ironing board.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of an ironing board equipped with an attachment in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the ironing board in FIGURE 1, the attachment shown in a second position in dotted lines.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the attachment.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of the attachment showing the various parts thereof.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 1 and showing the details of one of the clamps used to secure the attachment to a conventional ironing board.

In the accompanying drawings there is a conventional ironing board it) equipped with conventional legs 12. It is preferred that the ironing board be a modern metal ironing board so that attachment 14- may be secured to the end thereof by means of easily used clamps 16 and 18 (FIGURES 3 and 5).

Attachment 14 is made of a panel 26 which is of rectangular shape, although the shape may be varied, and which has a pair of longitudinally upwardly opening channels 22 and 24 along the longer edges thereof. The shorter ends of the essentially rectangular panel are open so that the brackets 26 and 28 may he slipped into the open ends of channels 22 and 24. Brackets 26 and 28 are essentially U-shaped and when slipped in place within channels 22 and 24 cause the panel to be very rigid and substantial.

Hinges 30 and 32 are operatively connected with the brackets 28 and 26. Each hinge is identical. The hinge 30 is made of a pair of cars 34 and 36 together with a U-shaped link 40 within which the cars 34 and 36 are nested. Pivot pins 42 and 44, for example rivets, are passed through aligned openings 45, 46 and 47, 48 in the ears and link 40 respectively. This forms hinge 30 enabling bracket 28 and panel 20 which is attached to the bracket, to be swung to a horizontal position in one direction (FIGURES 2 and 3) at which the hinge binds and forms an automatic stop to hold panel 20 coplanar with arm 50 of mounting bracket 52. Hinge 32 has a pair of ears 54 and 56 identical to cars 36 and 34, together with a link 58 which is identical to link 40. Rivets 60 and 62 function as pivots just as rivets 42 and 44. Ears 34 and '56 are secured to arms 50 and 64, respectively, the arm 64 being a part of bracket 66 which is identical in function and construction to bracket 52. All of the ears are slightly offset to enable clamps 16 and 18 of which brackets 52 and 66 constitute a part, to be alined properly with the downturned edge walls 11 of ironing boa-rd 10 and panel 20 to be positioned beyond one end of the ironing board.

Clamps 16 and 18 are identical. Clamp 16 is made of an upwardly opening substantially U-shaped clamp member 76 having a presser plate 78 disposed therein. Setscrews S0 and 81 are threaded through tapped openings 82 and 83 in the U-shaped clamp member 76, and the extremities thereof are disposed in shallow seats 84 and 85 formed in presser plate 73. The presser plate is adapted to abut the edge wall 11 (FIGURE 5) on its inner surface, while the outer usrface of the edge wall 11 abuts the inside surface of a part of bracket 52. Clamp 18 is identical to clamp 16, but it is adapted to engage the edge wall opposite to edge Wall 11 of ironing board 10.

Panel 20 has an upwardly opening pocket 88 by which to accommodate a bottle of water or any other type of receptacle within which to have sprinkling water at hand. Upwardly opening receptacle 99 in panel 29/ is for small sundry objects and items. Accordingly, it has a door 92 connected by hinge 94 along one edge thereof. There is preferably a torsion spring connected with the hinge to hold the door automatically in a closed position. The final upwardly opening receptacle 96 has a sloping bottom wall 98 and is used to support a steam iron or other type of fiat iron. When a steam iron is used the specific shape of receptacle 96 assumes importance because the steam discharge end thereof may be placed in an upward direction so as not to lose steam from the iron when it is temporarily placed at rest on the fireproof surface of upwardly opening receptacle 96.

In use and operation, attachment 14 is installed as described. The panel 2%) may be swung from a position at which the top surface of panel 20 is parallel and resting on the top of ironing board 10. In this position spring clamp which is secured to bracket 28, hooks over the edge of arm 50. The spring clip has a latching finger 102, preferably formed as a pair of spaced crimps in the spring metal finger, which books under the lower edge of arm 54) or another part of bracket 52.

Then, when it is desired to iron clothing, panel 20 is merely lifted and swung in the direction of the arrow in FIGURE 2. When it is essentially horizontal hinges 36 and 32 bind holding the panel 20 in a horizontal position. Then, the ironing board attachment may be used as described for the convenience of the ironer.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may beresorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

v What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An ironing board attachment comprising a pair of horizontal arms, clamps on one end of said arms for removably securing said arms longitudinally on the longitudinal edges of an ironing board adjacent one end and in the horizontal plane thereof, an article supporting panel including side portions and further including spaced, parallel guide channels extending between said side portions, generally U-shaped brackets having their end portions slidably engaged in said guide channels for fixedly supporting said panel on said brackets, ears on the bight portions of the brackets, generally channelshaped links pivotally connecting the arms to the ears for supporting the panel in an operative position in the horizontal plane of the ironing board and for vertical swinging movement to a horizontal, inoperative position on said ironing board in face-abutting engagement therewith.

2 An ironing board attachment comprising a pair of horizontal arms, clamps on one end of said arms for removably securing said arms longitudinally on the longitudinal edges of an ironing board adjacent one end and in the horizontal plane thereof, an article supporting panel including side portions and further including spaced, parallel guide channels extending between said side portions, generally U-shaped brackets having their end portions slidably engaged insaid guide. channels for fixedly supporting said panel on said brackets, ears on the bight portions of the brackets, generally channelshaped links pivotally connecting the arms to the ears for supporting the panel in an operative position in the horizontal plane of the ironing board and for vertical swinging movement to a horizontal, inoperative position on saidironing board in face-abutting engagement therewith, and means for releasably securing the panel in said inoperative position, said means comprising a resilient latch on one of the brackets engageable with the adjacent arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 800,585 Maxam Sept. 26, 1905 920,049 Good Apr. 27, 1909 2,551,285 Petersen May 1, 1951 2,695,762 Wersching Nov. 30, 1954 2,721,407 Sutherland Oct. 25, 1955 2,813,295 Atkinson Nov. 19', 1957 2,900,748 Magee Aug. 25, 1959 2,941,320 Cadd-el June 21, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 70,117 Switzerland Jan. 29, 1914 956,997 France Aug. 15, 1949 

